07 Sep 2020

As the custodian of Botswana’s foreign policy, the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation (MIAC) continues to play a role in fostering and protecting Botswana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Lemogang Kwape said this when delivering ministry’s NDP11 Mid-Term Review under the thematic sector of governance, peace and security in Parliament.

He said the ministry also collaborated with relevant stakeholders in the promotion of good governance and the rule of law, as well as in contributing towards a diversified economy through the promotion of export-led growth, which was one of the priorities of Economic Transformation Recovery Plan.

He said the ministry was also the key driver of regional and multilateral diplomacy.

 Dr Kwape said the ministry had so far  played an instrumental role in ensuring that Botswana, as a good standing member of the international community, not only met her international obligations and commitments, but also fully benefited from her strategic partnerships and membership of international bodies.

Furthermore, Dr Kwape said regional cooperation remained the cornerstone of Botswana’s foreign policy 

In that regard, he said Botswana continued to cooperate with her neighbours, through various bilateral mechanisms, as well as her membership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

He said Botswana used the bilateral platforms which included Joint Permanent Commissions for Cooperation (JPCC) and Bi-National Commissions, to advance her diplomatic initiatives and to contribute to the regional integration agenda

Regarding ministry’s projects for NDP 11, Dr Kwape said the ministry’s critical priority would include finalisation of Foreign Policy Document of Botswana to ensure a coordinated approach and a strategic focus in the engagement with the international community. The document would be finalised by end of the financial year 2020/21.

Other critical priority areas are to increase representation of Batswana in international organisations by identifying positions and opportunities for Batswana.  

Furthermore, he said, the ministry would finalise and implement the South-South Triangular Cooperation Strategy.

In doing so, he said, the ministry was collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to develop Botswana's South-South and Triangular Cooperation Strategy (SSc/TrC).

The Strategy is part of the implementation of Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals on partnerships and encourages countries to enhance South-South and Triangular Cooperation to support national plans to implement Sustainable Development Goals. 

“The Strategy will serve as a blueprint of Botswana’s engagement with other developing countries,” he said.

He said the ministry was also developing and implementing Economic Diplomacy Strategy with a view to undertake targeted trade, investment and tourism promotional activities, as well as, identify access market for Botswana’s products.

Dr Kwape said process for formulation and implementation of a comprehensive Disapora Policy has also started, and was in recognition of the significant contribution that the Diaspora could make towards Botswana’s development.

Furthermore, he said the ministry was finalising development of the database on international agreements, to facilitate monitoring of compliance, implementation and reporting on international obligations. 

So far, he said, over 200 agreements had already been uploaded and that the portal would be open to the public as soon as it was complete.

He also said it was critical that Botswana should consider opening new missions in strategic countries, to increase her diplomatic coverage and exploit available opportunities.

Thus, he said the ministry would purchase properties, both residential and office space, in strategic locations, to reduce the high rental costs

Parliament also learnt that economic diplomacy remained central in harnessing international cooperation and partnerships to drive Botswana’s development goals. 

In this regard, he said economic diplomacy was another integral vehicle of Botswana’s foreign policy towards trade liberalisation, promoting export-led growth, and attracting foreign direct investment, thus creating employment for Batswana.

Furthermore, he said during the period under review, Botswana  concluded bilateral visa abolition agreements to facilitate ease of movement, with a number of countries including Angola and Russia, for all passports, while China, Switzerland and Vietnam, the dispensation was only for diplomatic and official passport holders. 

 

He said visa abolition with India, only covered diplomatic passport holders and negotiations were on-going with other strategic countries. BOPA